United Nations (TDI): Pakistan on Monday voiced its support for UN Secretary-General’s UN80 initiative, aimed at improving the United Nations’ effectiveness, while stressing that the organization’s core mandate of maintaining global peace and security must remain a top priority.
“Islamabad welcomes the UN80 Initiative as a timely and significant step towards making the global body leaner, more efficient and fit for objective,” Pakistan’s permanent representative at the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, told an informal meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at which UN chief Antonio Guterres briefed the member countries on his wide-ranging effort to revamp the organization’s system.
Launched in March, the UN80 Initiative focuses on three priorities: increasing operational efficiency, assessing how mandates – or major tasks – from member countries are implemented, and exploring structural reforms across the United Nations system.
Pakistan’s envoy said, “As a strong supporter of multilateralism and a strong advocate of the United Nations and its charter, Islamabad gives great value to this initiative.”
Read More: United Nations Secretary-General arrives in Pakistan
“Pakistan believes that the key to success lies in the process, which must be organic, clear, consensual and comprehensive. While setting timelines is sometimes useful, flexibility is necessary to achieving the best possible result.”
It must be an internally initiated drive, led by the member countries and protected from external pressures, he said.
Read More: Pakistan Urges UN to Address Enforced Disappearances in IIOJK
In this regard, Asim stated that this process must build on previous reforms, thus taking the UN forwards.
He added that relevant information and documents should be timely provided to member countries so they would be able to give useful feedback.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
